Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus.



Patented Feb. 27'. 19W

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

L v LEWES RAILWAY TMFFJC CONTROLLING APPARATUS APPUCATIUN FILED JUNE 12. 1914 RENEWED FEB. 12.1916.

'Y-WITNESSES LJV. LEWIS.

RAFLWAY TRAFFIC crmmoumn APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I2\ 1914.

RENEWED FEB. 12.1916.

Patented Min 9?, WW.

SHEETS--SHEET 2.

FIG; 2

LINN LMHI INVEN'TGR WITM ka 40 trip, as hereshown,

ratus, of which the TED strATas PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD V. LEWIS, OF EDGEWOOD BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISBVALE, PENIISYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TBAFIIC-COHTBOLLING APPARATUS.

Application filed June 12, 1914, Serial No. 844,884.

citizen of the United States, residing in Edgewood Borough, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Railway-Trafiic-Gontrolling Appafollowing is a specification.

' rection of movement of the arm 11 is pivotally mounted at a point.

My invention relates to railway trallic controlling apparatus.

I will describe one form and arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation a portion of a locomotive'having applied thereto one form and arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a view showing on an enlarged scale and partly in section a valve device B shown in Fig. 1.,

a. sectional view on the line III of Fig. 4 is a view showing on. an en- A shown in Fig. 3 is Fig.2. larged scale a valve device Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of the several views.

Referring first to Fig. 1, 12 designates one of the track rails;of a railway upon which a vehicle 13, for example, a locomo tive, is adapted to travel. Located in the trackway is a trip 10, and carried on the vehicle 13 is an arm 11 arranged so, that it may engage the trip 10 to afi'ect certain ap aratus on the vehicle.

5 here shown. the trip 10 is stationary, and is therefore always in tripping position, although I donot wish to limit myself to this particular arrangement of trip. The

is provided with an inclined surface sloping upwardly in the dithe vehicle 13, and

15 and is so formed that it may ride upwardly on the inclined surface of the trip 10. The arm is biased with the inclined surface of the trip 10; as here shown, this bias is obtained by means of a-helical spring 1.4 which surrounds a rod 16. The lower end of rod 16 is provided fiiiithi-a jaw 17 which is pinned to the Specification of Letters Patent.

.46, all held'together by by some suitablemeans so as to be in position for engagement 1 Renewed February 1%, 1916. Serial No. 78,084.

arm 11, while the upper end of'rod 16 passes through a lug 18 formed -on a bracket 19 which mounted on a part of the under frame of the vehicle, here shown as being the bumper beam 2-1. The lower end of spring 1 1 bears against the jaw 17, and the upper chd against the lug 18. The pressure of the spring 14 on the jaw 17, and the vertical location of arm 11, may be ad justcd by means of a nut 20, screwed on the upper end of rod 16 and bearing on the top of lug 18.

Mounted on the locomotive is a box 22 which incloses certain controlling apparatus which I will now describe. Mounted in this box is a block 27 having a hole 34., through which passes a .rod- 30. The lower end oi this red carries a jaw 32, which is pinned to the arm 11, and the upper end is provided witha head in the form of a nut 31, which rests normally on the upper surface of the block 27 v.

A latch 36 is' 'pivotally mounted at point 37 on block 27 and is biased by means of a spring 38 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1. This latch is provided with a shoulder 39 which lies in the path of the nut 31, so that whenthe arm 11 is raised by trip 10, the nut 31 engages the shoulder 39 and swings the latch 36 laterallv against the action of spring 38. I utilize the lateral movement 'of the latch 36 to control a valve device 'A which is shown more clearly in Fig. 4 and which opens and closes..a pipe 41.

Referring to Fig. 4, the valve device A comprises a body 44, a cap 45, and a head bolts 47. i A valve stem 43 passes through a hole in the head 43 and is provided with a flange 48 which limits the outward moivement of the stem by engaging the head 46. This stem 43 is adapted to be pressed inwardly by latch 36 (see Fig. 1) when arm 11 is raised. The body 44 is provided with an annular valve seat 49 upon which a valve 50 is adapted to be seated. This valve 50 is held against its valve sat by a spring 54. The valve 50 is screwed on the end of a longitudinally grooved stem 51. A piston 52 is adapted to reciprocate in the cylinder formed by the body portion' i l. This piston carries an extended sleeve53 which surrounds the stem Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

l which may leak past valve 'hoth by spring 'opening the port '48 against ap in.

51 and serves as a nude therefor. The end of the sleeve 5?: rests against a washer 92, which in turn rests against the valve 50. Pipe l1 opens into chaml'ier 55 and the bodv 5 4% is provided with a port 56 by which the chamber 55 is opened into atmosphere when. piston 52 moves to the left. the port 56 being so located that a considerable movement of piston 52 is necessary in order to exhaust chamber 57 through port 56 to atmosphere. The body -.l--l is provided with another port 115. for exhausting: to atmosphere auv fluid so into chambar 126 on the left-hand side of piston q The operation of the valve deviee Ais as follows: Under normal conditions the valve rests against its seat ll) being held tlt'ere 5st and by the pressure on the valve of the liuid in chandler \Yhen the valve stem. 43 is pressed inwardly by latch 36, the head 48 engages the end oi stem 5i and moves valve 50 from its seat. Fluid pre sure then flows lroi'n chamber? through the sleeve 523 into chaniher and. the fluid pressure in chamber aeling upon the righthand t'aee of piston 52 will move piston 3:2 to the left until the prongs on sleeve 52-) en gage valve 50. it now the pressure in chant hers 571 and 57 acting; upon piston 3-3 sutlieient to overcome the nt-*ssure. oi" spring 54, the piston will move still further to the lelt until, it seats upon gasket 127. thereby fully 56 so that the. fluid pres .sure will he ra'pu'll exhausted to atmosphere.

This fluid pressure in chambers 55 and 57 acting against the area, oi stem 43. mores stem 43 to the right, and leakage past stem 43 is then prevented by the pressure of head The area of piston 52 is eomparativel v' large, heure only a romparativelv small fluid rn'essure' upon piston 52 is required to equal the uessure of spring 54. .'\s soon as the pressure upon the piston 52, deereases to a value less than the. pressure of spring 54, the piston will lend to re turn, therehy partially olosing orifi e on. This throttling of orifice 56 has the effect of increasing the. pressure in chamber 57 so that a point oi equilibrium is soon reached a twhieh the pressure. against piston 52 just halaneesthe pressure of spring Then iii order to more piston to its extreme righthaud position, it is necessary to further re.- duce the pressure in chambers 55 and 57, which may he done, porarily. disconnecting pipe source of? fluid pressure.

Mounted also. in the box '22 is a valve device B which, in conjunction with valve de vice A, controls the. fluid pressurein a pipe 109 which may be connected With-the brake pipe of the vehicle or may be employed other.- Wise to control'the brakes of the vehicle. Referring now to Figs. 2 andB, the valve deand (37 on an extension W; of

. piston 68.

for exan'iple, by temvice B comprises a casing formed of three sections 60, ($1, (32. The section (31 contains a chamber (84, into which opens a pipe- 58 which is connected with a suitable source of fluid pressure such as the main reservoir 0 the vehicle. Mounted in the ehau'iber M is a slide valve (3.) which slides over ports 69, 74.1 and T1. in a wall of the chamber. orts T1 and air l 'ake control pipe I09. and to the pipe ll. and port ('Mis open to atmos mere. The. slide valve is reciprocated lay shoulders 57 a piston 68. This piston is adapted to rerhurocate in a. cylinderformed in sertion (ll of the. casing. The shoulder ii? is shaped to lit the. ri'iamher ill. and. therefore. serves strain the piston (39 to movement parallel to its cylinder; this shoulder is triangular in shape or is otherwise reeessed to permit the passagie of lluid from one do to the other thereof. The slide valve (35 is its seat by a spring; (2 u hich slid wall oi the chamber (i-, oppoi. valve seat and Ji'lllt'll pre uses upor a. pin mounted in the slide valve. A. reservoir T23 adapted to retain fluid pressure is screwed into the section (.2 ol the dealer This voir is open at its top so that rates with section (32. and the pre J'ure in the lQSil'W'ill" arts upon the bottom of a pistou 74 which is adapted to reciprocate. in a cylinder Formed in section (it). The area of. this piston Tl is greater than the area o Piston T-t is fixed to a stem the upper end of which may reciprocate in a suitalile sorket'YS in piston 68. oi stem Twi s to raise piston 68 when piston Tl is raised fluid pressure in reservoir 73. A helical spring; 77 extends from piston H to piston GS. and tends to separate these two pistons. valve hod r 107 is screwed into the upper-section (ll ot'the device, and into this valve body is screwed an iron-clad ele tromagnet 79 which controls a pin valve 3f This pin Valve Connedls the reservoir 73, through a pipe. 81, with atmosphere or with chamber 64, aeeording as the eleetromagnet is deenergized or energized. The pipe 81 is provided with an oritire R6 of restricted area.

purpose of this cock is to out the entire ap- 1-20 paratus out of service as hereinafter explamed.

The operation of this valvedevice B is as follows: (Till-amber CA- is constantly filled with fluid pressure from pipe. 58. This fluid pressure. acts upon the upper face of piston 65 and holds the latter down against itsseat 75', thereby holding slide va vs 65 in the position shown. When magnet 79, is deepergized, reservoir 73 is connected with atmosare eonnerted respectivelfto the as guide to eon The function phere by the pin valve 80, as shown in the drawing. When magnet 79 is energized, it operates pin valve 80 to disconnect the reservoir 73 from atmosphere and connect it with chamber 0 1. When the pressure in reservoir 7 3 reaches a certain proportion of the pressure in chamber 64., its action on piston 74 is sufiicient to overcome the pressure on pis ton 68, so that the latter is unseated, thereby exhausting the small annular chamber 99 to atmosphere through cock 84. The pressure of air on the top of piston 08 new acts on a smaller area of this piston, so that a force sufiicientto start this piston from its seat will be sufficient to overcome the added friction of the slide valve and to quickly complete the stroke of the pistons and slide valve. Quick actiono'f the slide valve is thereby secured.

The period of time required for the pressure in reservoir 7 3 to reach this proportion of the initial pressure depends upon the capacity 01' the reservoir 73 and uponthe area of orifice 80; hence, this period of time may be varied by varying either one or both of these values.

ll'hen it desired to cut the apparatus out of service, that is, to permanently disconnect pipe 11 from the air-brake control pipe 109, the handle of cook 84 is turned from the position shown in full lines to the position shown in dash lines, thereby connecting chamber 85 with pipe 58. Both faces of pis ton 68 are then subjected to fluid under the same pressure, and the spring T7 then becomes effective to raise the piston 08 away from stem 76, thereby moving the slide valve 65 to such position as to disconnect pipe 41 from the air-brake control pipe 109.

It will be seen from an inspection of Fig.

1 that the two valve devices A. and B are in series as to their control of brake pipe 109, that is, it is necessary that both of these valve devices be open. to cause an application of the brakes. Valve ii is normally open, and valve A. opened by every trip 10, hence, nah vaive B is Closed just before each. trip 10 is reach ed, the in-alves will be ap plied at each trip. Tillie -losure of valve B is only acconnplished wl'ien the speed. of the vehicle is at or below the predetermined speed at the trip, this control of valve B being secured by means which 1 will now explain.

A contact shoe 103 is mounted on-a beam 104 carried by the vehicle, and is connected with one terminal of magnet 7 9 by a wire 105. The other-terminal. of magnet 79 is connected with the locomotive frame by wire 106. Extending in. the rear of the trip 10 a predetermined distance, is a ramp rail with which the shoe 103 is adapted to make contact. As here shown, this ramp rail co1nprises two sections 101 and 102 insulated from each other. 100 is a. source of current one terminal of which is constantly connect: ed with section 1.02 of the ramp rail by Wire 111. The other section 101 of the ramprail is connected with or disconnected from the last-mentioned terminal ofthe source 100 according as a circuit controller 109 is closed or open. This circuit controller 109 may be operated by any suitable means, such for example, as by a railway signal. The other terminal of source 100 is connected with track rail 12 by a wire 110.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Assume that the vehicle 13 is traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow, and that the circuit controller 10!) is ope-n, as shown in the drawing, then when contact shoe 103 engages section 101 of the ramp rail, the circuit for magnet 79 is not closed because section 101 is not connected with the source of current 1.00. \Vhen, however, the contact shoe 103 reaches section 102 of the ramp rail, the tollmviug circuit for n1agnet 79 is closed: from source 100, through wire 111, section 102 of: the ramp rail, contact shoe 103, wire 105, magnet 70, wire 100, locomotive frame, track rail 12, wire 110 to source 100. The cnergization of magnet 79 operates the pin valve to admit fluid pressure to the reservoir 73, and if the speed of the vehicle 13 is such that the slide valve [35 is operated in time to disconnect pipe 11 from the air-brake control pipe before trip arm 11. strikes trip 10, the brakes will not be applied although valve A will be opened by latch 30 as hereinbefore explained. If,however, the e 'jeed of the vehicle is such that slide valve is not moved in time to dis connect pipe 411 from the air-brake control pipe before valve A is opened, the brakes will be applied. If the circuit controller 109 is closed. it will be clear that magnet 79 will be energized as soon as contact'shoe 103 engages section "101 of the ramp rail and that a corrcspondingl y higher speed of the vehicle is permissible without application of the brakes kl caused Although l havefherein shown only one form of appa atus embodying my invention,

it is ul'iderstood that various changes and 1. In combination, a railway vehicle, vehiole-controlling apparatus thereon comprising two valves connected m ser1es, one of said valves bemg normally closed and the other ,normally open, means located in the trackway for opening said normally closed valve, time-controlled means on the vehicle for closing said normally open valve, and means located in the traekway for setting said time-contr0lled means into operation at a predetermined distance in the rear of the point at which the normally closed valve is opened.

2. In combination, a railway track, a vehicle adapted to travel thereon, a brake controlling pipe on said vehicle, two valves in series in said pipe one of which is normally closed and the other normally open, a trip on the trackway, means on the vehicle adapted to coact with said trip to open the norn'ially closed valve, time controlled. means on the vehicle for closing said normally open valve, a ramp rail extending a predetermined distance in the rear of said trip and divided into sections, electrically isolated from each other, means for energizing each section of said conductor, a second device carried by the. car or train adapted. to coact with the conductor, and means carried by the ear or train for setting the time-controlled means into. operation when said second de vice 'coacts with a section of the conductor which 1s energlzecl.

3. In combination, a railway track, a

vehicle adapted to travel thereon, a brake 25 controlling pipe on said vehicle, two valves in series in said pipe one of which is normally closed and the other normally open, a trip on the trackway, means on the vehicle adapted to coact with said trip to open the 30 normally closed valve, time-controlled means on the vehicle for closing said normally open valve, and means located in the trackway for setting said time-eontrolled means into operatlon at a predetermined distance\35 

